Hot Gold Apple Cider

1. Gather the ingredients.

2. In a large pot, combine all the ingredients.

3. Stir and cover. Heat and slowly bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.

4. Lower the heat, cover, and allow to simmer for 1 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

5. Transfer to an insulated punch bowl and serve in mugs, or keep it covered on the stove and heat it up periodically. Enjoy.

This recipe can easily be adapted to create as many servings as you like. Downsize it for a small party or a snowy day at home or increase it for a larger crowd; simply retain the ratio of the three liquids. And, you will not hurt it one bit if you do pour in a little extra rum or Goldschlager.

Slow Cooker Method

If you prefer, this warm punch can be prepared and served in a slow cooker. It's a hassle-free way to set up the punch for party service, especially if your stovetop is tied up with food or you have to transport it.

Simply combine the ingredients in your slow cooker, stir it, and set it on the low setting for 2 to 3 hours. Stir the punch occasionally. If needed, you can set the cooker on the warm setting for another hour or two. 

Adding the Spices

One of the highlights of this punch is the gold flakes of Goldschlager. Since you don't want to lose any of that, it's best not to strain out the spices once the punch reaches its peak flavor. While it doesn't hurt to leave them in for the duration, you can easily remove them by placing the allspice and cloves into a mesh tea ball beforehand. The cinnamon sticks are easy to fish out with a large spoon.

Choosing the Rum

Even though dark rum is recommended, nearly any rum you have in stock will do. This spiked hot cider recipe works well with Bacardi Gold, or any other flavor of rum you prefer. However, the flavor of the apple and cinnamon set against a dark or aged rum really does set it off nicely. Since entertaining a crowd typically means having a budget in mind, consider choosing a good but affordable rum like Appleton Estate Gold or Cruzan Aged Dark.

You may actually find it best to avoid spiced rum. The spices in the punch take care of the flavoring and adding more via rum is unnecessary. Quite honestly, it almost ruins the punch.